Without a QB the Steelers will be a tough sell for offensive free agents
With Super Bowl 59 now over, all 32 NFL teams turn their attention to the offseason. And that means player acquisition is right around the corner with the “legal tampering period” starting March 10th, and the start of the new league year, and free agency, March 12th. For fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the entire offseason discussion has been based around the quarterback position, and rightfully so. It is becoming more and more glaring by the year if you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have much of a shot.
Getting a quarterback locked up before the start of free agency, which would be a quarterback like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or a quarterback who could be released by their current team, like Aaron Rodgers, would be ideal. Maybe ideal isn’t the right word to use, I think the term paramount might be a better way to describe the Steelers situation at signal caller.
Think about it…
If you are a wide receiver who is primed to make big money on the open market, think Tee Higgins, would you want to go to the Steelers? I’m not saying it has anything to do with the coaching staff or other receivers on the team, but the simple fact the team doesn’t have a quarterback.
Put yourself in the shoes of Higgins’ agent. If the Steelers call and offer your client a hefty contract, you would be attracted to the money, but are you attracted to the situation?
The Steelers don’t have a quarterback. As in, there isn’t one, outside of Skylar Thompson, currently under contract. Would you want your client signing a multi-year deal to go to a team who has no solidified quarterback at the helm? While you might get the money, where you are now sets up your next contract. So, if Higgins were to sign with the Steelers, and he ends up floundering in a system without a quarterback, it would decrease his overall value for the next time he hits the open market.
This brings the conversation full circle. The Steelers offseason doesn’t truly start until they find a quarterback, whoever that may be. Whether it’s Fields, Wilson, or someone else, the organization will need to act quickly to get their next quarterback under contract so they can start to work on luring potential free agents to the team.
If the team chooses to wait until the start of free agency to act, and this wouldn’t be all their fault, they are risking losing out on big-name players who are looking to get a new contract with a new team. The Steelers could offer both Fields and Wilson a new contract before free agency, but the players and their agents could choose to wait and test the open market. It is their prerogative.
It puts the team in quite a bind when it comes to how they can manipulate their offseason, and it is just another reason why the team should be acting now to sign a player like Fields or Wilson before the start of free agency. If Fields is the target, and a good deal of the fan base view the situation this way, giving him the years and money he would desire to keep him in the black-and-gold will be vital to getting the start of free agency off on the right foot.
Failing to lock up the quarterback can be catastrophic for the team’s efforts this offseason. In other words, this offseason is going to be must-watch, even if they choose to do nothing at all.
Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason.
Don’t take it I disagree, but there are other factors in play here outside of who is throwing the ball. It’s a chicken or egg debate right now. Sure the team needs a QB… But it also needs improvements along the offensive line, something that hasn’t happened even with the influx of talent. You are also looking at a very limited game plan that doesn’t throw the ball much. So the questions become who is willing to throw the ball in those conditions, and who would be willing to come to a team that might throw the ball to you 3-4 times a game, or you might not see a target for 3 weeks?
I gotta say that the line might not be as bad as you think. Hopefully there will be no rookies this year on the line and they can make a leap together. I do see a need for some veteran free agents though. Not that I have a say, but I don’t want the whole unit to be less than 3 years in the league. Heck, I think you have to give guys on the line 3 years just to know what you have in them.
I can see what you’re saying, and the fact the Steelers don’t have a proven OLine, and a coordinator some might not want to work with doesn’t make it a great “destination”. Throw in the no QB facet and it gets even worse.
I’ve been saying to anyone that listen that the Steelers should take a flyer on Daniel Jones. (I read your stuff a lot on BTSC back in the day Jeff. Thought I’d finally come check the new site out again. It’s a lot better than the last time I was here!) I know a lot of people would disagree with me on this, but hear me out.
Tomlin wants a QB that can run. Jones has proven to be really effective as a runner and he has a ton more throwing talent than Fields does. I know he didn’t have a great season in ’24, but he did average 2.4s to throw or something like that.
I just don’t think Fields is the guy this team needs.
I feel like Jones would certainly fit the cost profile for the Steelers.
And welcome to the new site! Hope you stick around!
I completely agree with you. It’s a bad scenario the Steelers find themselves in. There’s no “great” option to get a qb that “seals the deal” for any potential FA’s. The best option would seem to be to sign Fields- who while not necessarily very good- has at least enough “mystery” regarding potential to get someone to take a chance if money is equal. And as much as many of us (including me) are down on Tomlin, he is a recruiting factor for a number of guys.
AR Ii said that the QB room needed to get figured out first at his closing presser. Since he said that I believe the front office will be tasked with getting on that quickly.